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THERE WAS A significant drop in GP clinic referrals for breast, prostate, lung and skin cancer in March this year compared to the same month last year.
From March to May, there were 9,034 e-referrals for suspected symptoms of breast, prostate, lung, and skin cancer from GP clinics to cancer services.
This compares with 12,046 referrals over the same period last year, representing a drop of around 25%.
For skin cancer referrals, the numbers still haven’t quite recovered yet: they dropped from 1,600 between March-May last year, to 898 this year. That represents a drop of 44%.
The HSE has also said that when both symptomatic referrals and screening figures are considered, “the number of patients being referred to cancer diagnostic services decreased since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic to a low of less than half the usual numbers”.
In April and early May, GPs raised concerns about a drop in patients presenting with cancer symptoms at clinics across Ireland, and feared a “tsunami” of non-Covid related illnesses later in the year.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Health Minister Simon Harris are among those who have urged people with persistent symptoms – like a lump, rectal bleeding or chest pains – to get themselves checked urgently.
Figures provided by the HSE to TheJournal.ie show that symptomatic breast and skin cancer referrals to the the National Cancer Control Programme dropped dramatically during the month of March, with skin cancer referrals staying low during April.
For breast cancer referrals, figures show:
For skin cancer referrals, figures show:
For prostate cancer referrals, figures show:
For lung cancer referrals, figures show:
A number of important caveats are to be added: these figures do not include the referrals from screening services, which were halted from March due to Covid-19 related restrictions.
On Thursday, Health Minister Simon Harris confirmed that all cancer screening services will resume by July – starting with CervicalCheck. BreastCheck, BowelScreen, and Diabetic Retinopathy will then resume after that.
The HSE also pointed out that not all referrals to these services are sent electronically, meaning these e-referral figures do not represent all GP referrals.
We also don’t know how urgent any of these symptoms were, as the HSE states:
“Referrals to symptomatic cancer services are triaged as urgent or non-urgent at the hospital and consultant levels and as such no information is contained in the above e-referral counts as to subsequent triage status.”
Although the figures are improving, the HSE National Cancer Control Programme is still urging anyone with potential symptoms of cancer to phone their GP to get them checked out.
GP and hospital diagnostic cancer services are continuing to operate.
Services have been re-organised and precautionary measures taken to ensure surgeries and hospital environments are safe for patients.
All healthcare staff have been trained and equipped to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.
For more information about common symptoms of cancer, click here.
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So the Higgs Boson walks into a church.
“Get out, there’s no place for you here!” proclaimed the priest.
The Higgs Boson replied, “But without me, how can you have mass?”
Thank you, I’m here all week :-P
Thank you. I’ll be repeating this joke until someone bludgeons me to death for repeating it. I love it!
I’m stealing this one. Thank you :)
It is only a matter of time until religion becomes obsolete and Science takes over. I will be generous and give it 20 years.
Religion and science aren’t meant to replace one another, but rather complement.
Sergé, I have no doubt scientific evidence in the coming years will render traditional religion obsolete. You may ask how can I say this and my answer is that I have faith in it. :-)))
Ah to all the naysayers out there ……….. who invented the Higgs Boson? ………….
relativity is the preserve of honesty not maths.. and if you don’t believe me listen to a politician talking statistics !
By the the way …the answer to the question is “you and me !”
Sorry Sergei, I’m a religion teacher and sadly the way things are going he may be right. It’s the “God of the Gaps” theory. The developed world is moving away from religion, some areas quicker than others, as we find explanations for the things we used to attribute to God. That said, science answers the how, and I find it very hard to believe it will be able to answer all the “whys” that organised religion presents reasons for; namely the meaning of life. However, I do agree that religion and science don’t have to contradict each other, but that’s a place for a thread not under my joke :-)
Tried to be all intellectual and read this story and ponder the implications for mankind…… alas I haven’t a balls notion what it’s about.
I think it means we can look forward to a new kind of bomb !
It means we’ve made another step towards understanding the universe, the nature of reality and our very existence.
I can understand how this is meaningless to those who have have no aspiration of having such an understanding or those who already (mistakenly) believe they have it.
Back to your bread and circuses.
Have you ever wondered what came before the big bang? This particle will help the lads understand more about it, well that’s one aspect of it so I was told.
All is explained with the Big Bang Theory theme tune.!
Our whole universe was in a hot dense state,
Then nearly fourteen billion years ago expansion started. Wait…
The Earth began to cool,
The autotrophs began to drool,
Neanderthals developed tools,
We built a wall (we built the pyramids),
Math, science, history, unraveling the mysteries,
That all started with the big bang!
“Since the dawn of man” is really not that long,
As every galaxy was formed in less time than it takes to sing this song.
A fraction of a second and the elements were made.
The bipeds stood up straight,
The dinosaurs all met their fate,
They tried to leap but they were late
And they all died (they froze their asses off)
The oceans and Pangea
See ya wouldn’t wanna be ya
Set in motion by the same big bang!
It all started with the big BANG!
It’s expanding ever outward but one day
It will pause and start to go the other way,
Collapsing ever inward, we won’t be here, it won’t be heard
Our best and brightest figure that it’ll make an even bigger bang!
Australopithecus would really have been sick of us
Debating how we’re here, they’re catching deer (we’re catching viruses)
Religion or astronomy (Descartes or Deuteronomy)
It all started with the big bang!
Music and mythology, Einstein and astrology
It all started with the big bang!
It all started with the big BANG!
Pompous c**nt.
@ aggressive secularist.
@David, in the information age, ignorance is a choice.
You havent a bulls notion what its about either, why dont you now quote something you read about it and its implicAtions and pretend you came up with some original thought! So kiss my boson!
That comment was for secularist
There are 7 billion truths on this planet ……………this is not one of them !
The real higgs boson diagram is in Newgrange !
I think no one should be proud of ignorance.
This is the opening chapter in angels and demons, new pope CERN scientist
Stark contrast to “oh well we have a new pope”
Is there anything to be said for another mass?
Anybody know the number for the Iona Institute, I want a non biased view on this news.
01-666-6666
I thought it was 668, the neighbour of the beast.
Childline is 1800 666 666 – Alan …I kid you not !
Destroy the Higgs Boson – Destroy Gravity! Fat people of the world – Rejoice!
Does that mean there’s no more austerity?
It’s all well and good coming up with a mechanism for how the elements are given mass, but what gives the Higgs boson particle mass itself? And people are quick to criticise those of faith who believe a god had made life, when those from physics haven’t found what gives mass to the particle which gives mass to everything else…
Well Science has come along way to explain such things, religion on the other hand still preaches the same nonsense of ‘Well the Bible said it so it must be true’. There is more proof in The Big Bang than God. Simples.
I know what you mean. Its no different than the knowing and not knowing of which should come first. A) Take a sip of tea or B) Take a bite of the Wagonwheel.
Hot or sweet, or Sweet and then hot.
I know, right? Although wagon wheels are controversial, I’m more of a hobnob kinda guy myself
Particles dont all have mass. Photons for example dont carry mass but by gumble you notice them ;)
Im sorry but everything in universe science can explain. Our minds are not big enough to comprehend the universe. The big bang such power all mass being pure energy in big boom all the energy there ever was or ever will be in one moment. We can’t comprehend on that scale. What made the big band? God? No actually its now theorised that its endless cycle of big bangs. This universe will crash/rip appart/ collapse and recycle in new big bang with new laws of physics. But who created that that created that that created that?? Actually we think linear that time exists, for us yes as we are product of our environments. Yet time to universes does not. There might have always been a universe infinite big bands ago. Just we think linear we can’t comprehend. Mix ignorance and fear and need for power you get religions.
Jason you need to get on the dunking boat it’s the way forward!
Andrew this article is about science about & religion is a completely different subject. While I agree with you that scientist have criticised religious organisations for some of the claims they make,they do not say that there is no god. Im atheist I say the same. We dont know. However when the faithful claim they represent science this is where they both clash. Science says we dont need god for explainations.
Indeed, religion feeds off the but who made the first egg kind of thinking. And since we’re such a young, immature and still archaic race it will do for a long time. But its great to see so much information now becoming freely available to people its great to see we are explaining our existence and the universe we live in through our own findings.
We’ll get there eventually and trust me, there won’t be a god when we do.
No need for religion in this thread, it contributes nothing. You cannot just use God to explain everything we do not yet understand this is about science.
Exciting times in the field of physics. They’ve been due their day in the sun for a long time!
But, as to the alleged conflict between science and existence of God- science can give all of the how but none of the why. You can rigidly adhere to the scientific method and follow scientific evidence to the very last and still will never have touched the why. For some this is enough, for others, religion alone is enough. For me, both is required to help me understand fully the universe.
As Einstein hisself done said: Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind. I would have to say I agree wholeheartedly.
/scientist
Sorry, /scientist, visionary, plus actor.
Lol, here’s what Peter Higgs (who the God particle was named after has said on that issue:
“In the El Mundo interview, Higgs argued that although he was not a believer, he thought science and religion were not incompatible. “The growth of our understanding of the world through science weakens some of the motivation which makes people believers. But that’s not the same thing as saying they’re incompatible. It’s just that I think some of the traditional reasons for belief, going back thousands of years, are rather undermined.
“But that doesn’t end the whole thing. Anybody who is a convinced but not a dogmatic believer can continue to hold his belief. It means I think you have to be rather more careful about the whole debate between science and religion than some people have been in the past.”
He said a lot of scientists in his field were religious believers. “I don’t happen to be one myself, but maybe that’s just more a matter of my family background than that there’s any fundamental difficulty about reconciling the two.”
Again, neither attempts to prove nor disprove the existence of God but rather demonstrates the ability for God and modern science to co-exist. Which I would have thought as self evident considering the goal in the persuit of science is examining the root underlying mechanisms of the world, the universal constants. Big up ma main man Higgsy.
Any scientist funded with public money has an enormous motivation to bend over backwards to appease the religious, because the majority of people fitting the bill for their work are religious.
The reality is that the concept of NOMA (thank Stephen Jay Gould for that) doesn’t stand up to basic scrutiny and with or without NOMA you still have religion based bodies interfering wtih scientific process.
You quoted Einstein. That’s interesting because Einstein’s idea of religion has absolutely no resemblance what so ever to catholicism, christianity or any other faith. When Einstein referred to religion he was referring to the awe and wonder experienced when contemplating the universe. When he referred to “god”, he was referring to the universe itself. Einstein made it clear that his idea of religion was like that of Spinoza.
Here are some other Einstein quotes:
“I believe in Spinoza’s God, who reveals himself in the harmony of all that exists, not in a God who concerns himself with the fate and the doings of mankind.” -1929
“For me the Jewish religion like all other religions is an incarnation of the most childish superstitions” – 1954
AggressiveSecularist, It’s just as well Einstein didn’t become president of Israel then.
Mjhint are you not agnostic?
Religion is just a very very very old way of science when we could not explain something it must be god that’s doing it, nowadays we can explain most things so there really is no need for religion, unless you want to hear some fairy tails, science is constantly evolving, constantly improving moving with the times and aiding man kind to explain the world. What has religion done nothing!!
@Monsieur Aggressivo:
Are you finished? Well then, do allow me to retort.
1. “Any scientist funded with public money has an enormous motivation to bend over backwards to appease the religious, because the majority of people fitting the bill for their work are religious.”
Though I have yet to experience any religious interference in any lab I have had experience with, even if this were the case it doesn’t refute or support the proposition that there is or is not a God.
2. “The reality is that the concept of NOMA (thank Stephen Jay Gould for that) doesn’t stand up to basic scrutiny”
Tell me why please. I have read a bit on this matter and would love for you to show me the light.
3.” And with or without NOMA you still have religion based bodies interfering wtih scientific process.”
Again, not really relevant buddy. Unless you’re trying to disprove what Higgs said in his quote which wasn’t really the point I was illustrating by using that quote but by all means refute it. I believe that the number of scientists who believe in God in completely irrelevant to me as I, like most scientists, examine the evidence on its own merit and come to my own conclusions.
4. “You quoted Einstein. That’s interesting because Einstein’s idea of religion has absolutely no resemblance what so ever to catholicism, christianity or any other faith.”
I don’t believe I ever mentioned any one of Catholocism, Christianity, or any other faith for that matter! Par for course on this one bro.
5. “When Einstein referred to religion he was referring to the awe and wonder experienced when contemplating the universe. When he referred to “god”, he was referring to the universe itself. Einstein made it clear that his idea of religion was like that of Spinoza.”
This is the same God I believe exists, incidentally.
6.”Here are some other Einstein quotes:
“I believe in Spinoza’s God, who reveals himself in the harmony of all that exists, not in a God who concerns himself with the fate and the doings of mankind.” −1929″
Yup, though not where I get the sole evidence for my belief, it is in line with what I believe.
7.“For me the Jewish religion like all other religions is an incarnation of the most childish superstitions” – 1954
That’s his opinion and he’s certainly entitled to it. I have thought the same thing a number of times myself. In fact, I would be very surprised if there’s a religious person out there who hasn’t. At any rate, once again, it is outside the discussion now, if we are really discussing the existence of God.
As far as I can see you have just rattled off the rote attacks of the common aggressive secularist. At least your name is consistent with your ramblings.
Hi Dublin lad, some aspects of the Bible don’t require an update or am I mistaken- thou shalt not kill, rob, do the dirt with your neighbours wife, honour thy mother and father etc. No need to mix Christianity up with Catholicism. Christ the revolutionary did upgrade the old testament message of an eye for an eye to love thy neighbour as thyself which is a good message to aspire to regardless of belief or faith.
You read my mind…
Simple look there is no god. Its really silly if you give it thought so you die and spend eternity in heaven? Right so over the next Googlian number of years that something lile 1 with twenty zeros after it that you wont be bored? Come on :)
We are amazing creations of an amazing universe :) but we came about in a chemical soup and evolved. Thos planet is one of trillions an insignificant spec in an vast universe. We humams have a habbit of pver estimating our own importance.
Daire o brian said it best “science knows it does not know everything. If it did it would stop”.
@aggressive secularist good point well done. Its sad that science has to pander to religious interest groups with their agendas.
@Hippocrateeth
After a more careful reading I can see where you got the impression it was a rote argument.
It was a simple misunderstanding. I read this…
“But, as to the alleged conflict between science and existence of God”
… as conflict between science and religion, hence the NOMA references.
In any case, if your god is the god of Einstein and Spinoza, then you’re just defining the universe as god and using religious-sounding metaphors.
You’d may aswell name your toothbrush god and present it as evidence for the existence of god.
If you feel toothbrushes help you come to your own understanding of how and why our universe is then by all means embrace the brush. It’s a bit bare of an analogy to explain my logic.
To quote berty Einstein once again: “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler. “
Sheldon Cooper will keel over with the news
Sheldon Cooper would be delivering the news!
Did you all not hear Sheldon has become a recluse since he realised that the Higgs Boson was in fact an exact replica of his Cornea! …poor Sheldon the answer was there right in front of him in a mirror all the time!
I must say that watching it on tele and tears came to my eyes too. It was an emotional moment and one my household and family will never forget. VIVA EL HIGGS!
God did it , end of . Talk to the hand because the face ain’t listening
Pretty sad that over half the comments on this article have to be back to this contrived religion versus science debate. This is an important scientific discovery. If you can’t appreciate that without needing to have a go at religion it just highlights the fact that your real interest is in having an argument not in scientific progress
The steam engine was also a major scientific discovery and where is it now?
Yawn
Somebody change the channel over to storage wars for Carl.
Or I could watch yourself in action on jersey shore.
haha! Now you’re talking pal
Gerodie Shore look more fun.
The valleys is hard to beat for down right filthiness though.
If they haven’t found it by now give up and get another boson
They will find the force…. And only the meek can use it, harness it!
God told me that he invented man so that he (god) could discover the secrets of the universe.
The challenge to science will be to find a particle of intelligence amongst politicians and bankers.
To do that they would have to establish a whole new field of science called “Myopic Greed”
Religion is closed; science is open.
have your say